Lovely
Lakes within a Legacy of Human Reverence
Reviewed by Nancy Snipper
A warm welcoming on a beautiful
summer’s day
Arriving at the reception area of this unique Sépaq park, I noticed how
happy and helpful the gal at the reception desk was. Her name was Isabelle
Pothier, and having spoke a few days before via phone to her colleague,
Philippe Quesnel manager of the entire welcoming program, I realized that both
these bilingual people resonates the sparkling spirit of Monteregie’s Mont-Saint-Bruno
– a special park where humanity, humility and heavenly sights merge.
Nature’s plethora of remarkable diversity
Only 40 minutes from Montreal, Mont-Saint-Bruno puts you in another
world. Its tranquility and impressive nature vanquishes any city angst.
Birdsong and rushing streams are the immediate sounds you might hear. From the
balletic movement of white tail deer to the delicate darting of bright blue
damsel flies.
Mont-Saint-Bruno is a feast for the senses; everything harmoniously
blends, transforming you into a deep state of relaxation lie in a field or look
at a lake) and exhilaration (hike, walk jog) Judging by the impeccable state of
the park, it’s hard to believe that its 8.8 kilometres – a modest size compared
to Sépaq ’s 26 other parks – receives almost 900,000 visitors year-round!
After perusing the cute and useful items one can buy at the greeting centre
(take a look at those Sépaq animal buttons – one for every park), I was greeted
by the exuberant Suzie Laliberté, one of the park’s three ranger/naturalists. I
was lucky to have her as my guide. We got into her go-cart, a compact
open-air way to travel, and off we went.
The human imprint
Suzie proved to be an invaluable resource in adding to my understanding
of the park’s history, biodiversity and human habitation. There is more to this
oasis of water, deer, and the glorious greenery than meets the eye, for aside
from the 200 species of birds, 15 kinds
of fish, six kinds of reptiles and 500 species of plants, a remarkable vestige
of remnants echo the voices of those who once lived here.
As Suzie recreated the history of three specific types of settlements
here, I was to discover that I was treading on paths once walked on almost 400 years
ago by France’s appointed Seigneury (lordship) de Montarville (1711-1850). A
mill to grind wheat still stands. It dates back to 1741. Its stone exterior
houses century-old furniture used by present-day park-goers who enjoy its history
in another way; it’s now a teahouse. What a lovely salon ambiance – a unique
place to hold your corporate meetings or celebratory salon affairs.
Later on, a different type of leadership lay down roots – a religious
order dedicated to both preserving and tastefully enhancing the natural
surroundings. Les Frères de
Saint-Gabriel moved into the park in 1980. They established a school, demolished in 1990, but there’s a memorial, a farm (a red barn still
remains).
There is also an old orchard, a cemetery and a small replica of the
sanctuary of Lourdes
– a cave where they came to worship.
Look at the demure meditation pond with
flowers in it and all around its small perimeter where they came to
contemplate. Beckoning you from its
watery spot is a stunning shaded canopy of trees – 50 kinds in this secluded area
called, the arboretum.
Solitary and tranquil anything that harkens back to the
order creates a feeling of love and adoration of God and nature living in
harmony But no matter where you walk – whether on the four main trails that are
30 kilometres in length – or on the interweaving 4kilometre-long network of
narrow rustic ones, you are sure to discover your own piece of privacy – a
privilege few parks afford these days.
Mansions and lakes
Modern times brought million-dollar mansions. Discrete and hidden by trees,
nine privat4e homes poke up along parts of the perimeter of the park’s largest
of its five lakes: Lac Segneurial. Each lake has its own quay from which to
admire the view, but there is no fishing or swimming.
Sépaq has
carefully put a rope up along the perimeter of these lakes – even the two ponds
near the reception centre to ensure no human being treads on this precious
land/water area.
I loved stopping at each and every lake; Lac du Moulin with its
three-arched stone bridge under which nestle lily pads.
Set yourself right down
on the bench to stare at the lily pads
Lac des Bouleaux offers its own magic as does
the wild more remote Lac à la Tortue – the only lake that does not offer a
jut-out quay over the water.
Phone # 1-800-865-6527
